Police failed to notice the body of a motorist that veered the road and into a ditch

Apr 3, 2013 08:28 GMT  ·  By
Police checking the scene of a car crash fail to rescue the driver inside, tow the car
   Police checking the scene of a car crash fail to rescue the driver inside, tow the car

The body of a car crash victim has been recovered from the vehicle she was in three days after the incident.

Police found the remains of the woman from Clayton, North Carolina in the front seat of her 2000 Pontiac Sunfire on Monday, April 1, while the vehicle was in an impound lot.

According to WRAL, her car had been removed from a ditch off Swift Creek Road, near Smithfield on Friday, but there was no mention of her being inside at the time.

"No driver (was) at the scene of this collision," the police report documented.

Highway Patrol Trooper Marlon Williams, who drew up the paperwork ordered for the vehicle to be stored at Dustin's Towing in Willow Spring.

Carolyn Ann Watkins was reported missing on Monday, which is when the wreck was checked in search for her personal belongings.

"They were looking for her pocketbook and the keys, and when they started searching, that's when they found the body in the car," Watkins' son, Algernon Parker details.

The woman's relatives are upset over Highway Patrol failing to conduct a proper inquiry that might have led to the victim being rescued and nursed back to health.

"They didn't do their job properly, and we want some answers," Parker says.

"The only reason I'm upset is the way she was left in that car. She could've been living. [...] If they would've got her out like they should have, medical attention could've taken care of what was wrong with her," adds his wife, Patricia Parker.

The incident has prompted a suspension for the trooper handling the case and an investigation by the State Department of Public Safety.

"First and foremost, we offer our most sincere condolences to Carolyn Watkins’ family.

"Our main concern is to conduct a thorough and professional investigation so we can determine exactly what happened," Commissioner Frank Perry states.